Why Apple losing $40 billion doesn’t bother me.

Reports are pretty grim for Apple right now. The company missed revenue projections for the first time since 2003, and investors weren’t happy.

I’m not worried.

Their revenue is still the envy of many small countries. Every business since the beginning of time has good times and bad. Apple has seen these days before and they’ll probably see them again. Were we just supposed to believe the graph would keep climbing forever?

Here are some reasons why I think this could actually be a good thing:

1. Wake-up call

When you’re successful even when new products are just safe spec upgrades, it can go to your head. Why innovate when you can still make money playing it safe? I’m hoping this will shake things up enough that Apple will go back to their innovative roots. Maybe they’ll fire some slugs and hire some risk takers.

2. True fans stick around

I’ve been using Apple products since 2003. Of course, I can remember playing Oregon Trail on an Apple II, but my first Apple purchase was a 12' PowerBook G4. Man, that was a great computer! It was the perfect size for someone living out of a seabag, and when I sold it, I got damn near what I paid for it.

I bought my first iPod in Singapore before it was available in Japan (where I was stationed at the time). I had used some generic MP3 player before then, and I was blown away by how intuitive it was. People constantly asked what it was. They wanted to check it out. They couldn’t believe how many songs I could store on it. As soon as the iPod was widely available, white ear buds were dangling from everyone’s ears.

I remember listening to the MacCast while waiting for a train in Yokosuka. Ironically, I’m getting ready to launch a podcast soon (still relevant!).

Fast forward to today, I rarely use a device that’s not made by Apple. Only a handful of people I know use Android phones. Everyone’s got an iPad or a MacBook.

Maybe that’s too much. Maybe it’d be nice for Apple to be a niche product again. It could be I just feel like the hipster who’s favorite band’s gone mainstream.

3. Steve is gone, but Jony isn’t.

Sure, Steve Jobs was a visionary, and it’s tough for anyone to truly fill his shoes. Tim Cook may not be that man, but Jony Ive could be. For the uninitiated, Ive is largely responsible for the look and feel of many Apple products since the Bondi Blue iMac.

I believe that Apple has expanded its brand beyond Steve Jobs. It’s a culture and an identity for a lot of people. It’s a way of life. As long as they stay true to their “It just works” mantra, people will still buy in.

So, for all those people forecasting doom and gloom, don’t baton down the hatches just yet. Apple isn’t going anywhere.